Prior ultrasonic bonding apparatuses include apparatuses for converting web or sheet materials into laminates on-the-fly with predetermined patterns of bonded regions. Such apparatuses are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,562,041--Robertson; and 3,733,238--Long et al.
Robertson discloses that the working tip preferably be straight [i.e., flat] or tapered in the downstream direction for smooth entry and passage of the objects but, concomitantly, that there be a minimum area of contact between the working tip and the anvil or back-up. With respect to such apparatus having an anvil cylinder, the patent teaches that the tip have either a tangent relation to the anvil, or be tapered in the direction of rotation to provide greater convergence where desired than a tangent relation. This patent also discloses intermittently forming a wider gap between the working tip and the anvil to facilitate the entry and passage of materials between them.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,238--Long et al provides plural ultrasonic horns which are shown in the figures to have flat faces, and which horns are offset in the machine direction.
While the background art discloses methods and apparatus which have been developed to overcome some of the problems of ultrasonically bonding webs to convert them into laminates--particularly pattern bonded laminates--the discovered background art has not solved all of the problems associated with such web laminating in the manner of nor to the extent of the present invention. In particular, but not intending to thereby limit the scope of the present invention, providing a machine-direction elongate ultrasonic bonding passageway in which the webs are progressively subjected to increasing compressive forces over a substantial distance in the machine direction as they traverse the bonding passageway and which bonding passageway preferably has a sufficiently high upstream opening to obviate web-splice-induced jams.